Laws of Ecarte
The laws of Ecarte, as were accepted by the principal
clubs in London at the started of the twentieth century, are as follows.
1.--Each player has a right to shuffle both his
own and his adversary's pack. The dealer has the
right to shuffle last.
2.--The pack must not be shuffled below the
table, nor in such a manner as to expose the faces of
the cards, nor during the play of the hand.
3.--A cut must consist of at least two cards, and
at least two must be left in the lower packet.
4.--A player exposing more than one card when
cutting for deal must cut again.
5.--The player who cuts the highest Ecarte card
deals, and has choice of cards and seats. The
choice determines both seats and cards during the
play.
6.--The cut for deal holds good even if the pack
be incorrect.
7.--If in cutting to the dealer a card be exposed,
there must be a fresh cut.
8.--The dealer must give five cards to his
adversary and five to himself, by two at a time to each,
and then by three at a time to each, or vice versa.
The dealer, having selected the order in which he
will distribute the cards, muse not change it during
that game; nor may he change it at the
commencement of any subsequent game, unless he inform the
non-dealer before the pack is cut.
9.--If the dealer give more or less than five cards
to his adversary or to himself, or do not adhere to
the order of distribution first selected, and the error be
discovered before the trump card is turned, the
non-dealer, before he looks at his hand, may require the
dealer to rectify the error, or may claim a fresh deal.
10.--The hands having been dealt, the dealer
must turn up for trumps the top card of those
remaining.
11.--If the dealer turn up more than one card,
the non-dealer, before he looks at his hand, may
choose which of the exposed cards shall be the
trump, or may claim a fresh deal. Should the
non-dealer have looked at his hand, there must be a fresh
deal.
12.--If, before the trump card is turned up, a
faced card be discovered in the pack, there must be
a fresh deal.
13.--If the dealer expose any of his own cards
the deal stands good. If he expose any of his
adversary's cards, the non-dealer, before he looks at
his hand, may claim a fresh deal.
14.--If a player deal out of his turn, or with his
adversary's pack, and the error be discovered before
the trump card is turned up, the deal is void. After
the trump card is turned up, it is too late to rectify
the error, and if the adversary's pack has been dealt
with, the packs remain changed.
15.--If, after the trump card is turned up, and
before proposing, or, if there is no proposal, before
playing, it be discovered that the non-dealer has
more than five cards, he may claim a fresh deal.
Should the non-dealer not claim a fresh deal, he
discards the superfluous cards, and the dealer is not
entitled to see them.
16.--If, after the trump card is turned up, and
before proposing, or, if there is no proposal, before
playing, it be discovered that the non-dealer has less
than five cards, he may have his hand completed
from the stock, or may claim a fresh deal.
17.--If, after the trump card is turned up, and
before the dealer accepts or refuses, or, if there is no
proposal, before he plays, it be discovered that he
has dealt himself more than five cards, the
non-dealer may claim a fresh deal. Should he not claim
a fresh deal, he draws the superfluous cards from the
dealer's hand. Should the dealer have taken up his
hand, the non-dealer is entitled to look at the cards
he draws.
18.--If, after the trump card is turned up, and
before the dealer accepts or refuses, or, if there is no
proposal, before he plays, it be discovered that the
dealer has less than five cards, the non-dealer may
permit the dealer to complete his hand from the
stock, or may claim a fresh deal.
19.--If a fresh deal be not claimed when the
wrong number of cards are dealt, the dealer cannot
mark the king turned up.
20.--If the non-dealer play without taking cards,
and it be then discovered that he has more or less
than five cards, there must be a fresh deal.
21.--If the dealer play without taking cards, and
it be then discovered that he has more or less than
five cards, his adversary may claim a fresh deal.
22.--If a king be turned up, the dealer is entitled
to mark it at any time before the trump card of the
next deal is turned up.
23.--If either player hold the king of trumps, he
must announce it before playing his first card, or he
loses the right to mark it. It is not sufficient to
mark the king held in hand without announcing it.
24.--If the king be the card first led, it may be
announced at any time prior to its being played to.
If the king be the card first played by the dealer,
he may announce it at any time before he plays
again.
25.--If a player, not holding the king, announce
it, and fail to declare his error before he has played
a card, the adversary may correct the score, and has
the option of requiring the hands to be played over
again, notwithstanding that he may have abandoned
his hand. If the offender win the point he marks
nothing; if he win the vole he marks only one; if
he win the point when his adversary has played
without proposing, or has refused the first proposal,
he marks only one. But if the adversary himself
hold the king, there is no penalty.
26.--If a player propose, he cannot retract; nor
can he alter the number of cards asked for.[Footnote:
The elder hand may "propose," i.e. ask for cards, as often
as he pleases. If the dealer is not content with his own hand,
he will give cards, but after the first proposal, it is entirely at his
own option whether or not to do so.]
27.--The dealer, having accepted or refused,
cannot retract. The dealer, if required, must
inform his adversary how many cards he has taken.
28.--Each player, before taking cards, must put
his discard face downward on the table, apart from
the stock, and from his adversary's discard. Cards
once discarded must not be looked at.
29.--If the non-dealer take more cards than he
his discarded, and mix any of them with his hand,
the dealer may claim a fresh deal. If the dealer
elect to play the hand, he draws the superfluous
cards from the non-dealer's hand. Should the
non-dealer have taken up any of the cards given him, the
dealer is entitled to look at the cards he draws.
30.--If the non-dealer asks for less cards than he
has discarded, the dealer counts as tricks all cards
which cannot be played to.
31.--If the dealer give his adversary more cards
than he has asked for, the non-dealer may claim a
fresh deal. If the non-dealer elect to play the hand,
he discards the superfluous cards, and the dealer is
not entitled to see them.
32.--If the dealer give his adversary less cards
than he has asked for, the non-dealer may claim a
fresh deal. If the non-dealer elect to play the hand,
he has it completed from the stock.
33.--If the dealer give himself more cards than
he has discarded, and mix any of them with his hand,
the non-dealer may claim a fresh deal. If the
non-dealer elect to play the hand, he draws the
superfluous cards from the dealer's hand. Should the
dealer have taken up any of the cards he has given
himself, the non-dealer is entitled to look at the
cards he draws.
34.--If the dealer give himself less cards than he
has discarded, he may, before playing, complete his
hand from the stock. If the dealer play with less
than five cards, the non-dealer counts as tricks all
cards which cannot be played to.
35.--If a faced card be found in the stock after
discarding, both players have a right to see it. The
faced card must be thrown aside, and the next card
given instead.
36.--If, in giving cards, any of the non-dealer's
are exposed, he has the option of taking them;
should the non-dealer refuse them, they must be
thrown aside and the next cards given instead. If
the dealer expose any of his own cards, he must take
them.
37.--If, after giving the cards, the dealer turn up
a card in error, as though it were the trump card,
he cannot refuse another discard. If another be
demanded, the non-dealer his the option of taking
the exposed card.
38.--If the dealer accept when there are not
sufficient cards left in the stock to enable the players
to exchange as many cards as they wish, the
non-dealer is entitled to exchange as many as he asked
for, or, if there are not enough, at many as there are
left, and the dealer must play his hand; the dealer
is at liberty to accept, conditionally, on there being
cards enough in the stock.
39.--A card led in turn cannot be taken up again.
A card played to a lead may be taken up again to
save a revoke or to correct the error of not winning
a trick when able, and then only prior to another
card being led.
40.--If a card be led out of turn, it may be taken
up again, prior to its being played to; after it has
been played to, the error cannot be rectified.
41.--If the leader name one suit and play another,
the adversary may play to the card led, or may require
the leader to play the suit named. If the leader
have none of the suit named, the card led cannot be
withdrawn.
42.--If a player abandon his hand when he has
not made a trick, his adversary is entitled to mark
the vole. If a player abandon his hand after he has
made one or two tricks, his adversary is entitled to
mark the point. But if a player throw down his cards,
claiming to score, the hand is not abandoned, and
there is no penalty.
43.--If a player renounce when he holds a card
of the suit led, or if a player fail to win the trick
when able, his adversary has the option of requiring
the hands to be played again, notwithstanding that
he may have abandoned his hand. If the offender
win the point he marks nothing; if he win the vole,
he marks only one; if he win the point when his
adversary has played without proposing, or has refused
the first proposal, he marks only one. Should the
card played in error be taken up again prior to
another card being led (as provided by Law 39),
there is no penalty.
44.--A player may call for new cards at his own
expense, at any time before the pack is cut for the
next deal. He must call for two new packs, of
which the dealer has choice.
45.--If a pack be discovered to be incorrect,
redundant, or imperfect, the deal in which the
discovery is made is void; all preceding deals stand
good.
46.--The game is five up. By agreement, the
game may count a treble if the adversary has not
scored; a double if he has scored one or two; a
single if he has scored three or four.
47.--A player turning up a king, or holding the
king of trumps in his hand, is entitled to mark
one.
48.--A player winning the point is entitled to
mark one; a player winning the vole is entitled to
mark two.
49.--If the non-dealer play without proposing,
and fail to win the point, his adversary is entitled to
mark two. If the dealer refuse the first proposal,
and fail to win the point, the non-dealer is entitled
to mark two. These scores apply only to the first
proposal or refusal in a hand, and only to the point
the score for the vole being unaffected.
50.--If a player omit to mark his score, he may
rectify the omission at any time before the trump
card of the next deal is turned up.
51.--An admitted overscore can be taken down
at any time during the game.